The present invention relates to a method, system and devices for automating the production of crops. More specifically, the present invention relates to a closed unit, which can automatically seed, transfer, cultivate, and harvest a crop in an automatic fashion. Further specifically, the seeding, cultivation and harvest of the crop is performed by a robotic device which includes at least one robotic arm capable of manipulating and transferring from one place to another, seeds, seedlings, and mature plants ready for harvest. Further specifically, the present invention performs functions ancillary to the different stages of cultivation, including, but not limited to, irrigation, nutrient and mineral delivery, supply of light for photosynthesis, and regulation of O.sub.2 /CO.sub.2 balance. Still further specifically, the present invention is designed to operate with minimal maintenance for an extended period of time, for example 6 months to one year.
Many vegetables are grown at a great distance from the place where they are finally consumed. As a result, plant geneticists have produced strains of plants that are able to withstand both prolonged periods of storage and transit over great distance. These traits have often been selected at the expense of other desirable traits such as flavor and texture. Undesirable flavor and texture is a problem, particularly for vegetables consumed uncooked, such as lettuce, tomato, cucumber, bell pepper, carrot, parsley, coriander, endive, escarole, kale, spinach and other salad ingredients.
With current societal trends in Japan, Europe and the United States, there is an increased demand for fresh produce for two reasons. First, there is a widespread belief among consumers that it is healthy to eat a diet rich in fiber, including many raw vegetables. Second, a much greater percentage of meals are eaten in restaurants than ever before. Restaurant proprietors demand an even higher quality of produce in terms of freshness, flavor and appearance, than typically considered satisfactory for the average home consumer.
Therefore, there is an increasing market for purchase of fresh produce directly from the grower, assuming that there are local growers available. In urban areas with a high population density there are typically many restaurants, which would like to purchase high quality produce. In these same urban areas, there are typically no vegetable farmers, due to the high cost of real estate as well as to local zoning laws and other regulations. In addition to these problems, many cities are located in areas where the climate is unsuitable for cultivation of vegetable crops, or where the climate is suitable only during a brief season of the year, or where the soil is unsuited to agricultural use.
Local zoning ordinances, together with existing buildings in urban areas, mean that it would often be advantageous to house a farm indoors, in a structure with limited daylight. Previously, construction of such a facility required considerable expertise. There is therefore a potential demand for a self-sustained modular farming unit that could easily be installed in a variety of locations, for example a warehouse, a vacant lot, or a service alley.
In order to overcome climatic problems, greenhouses are often used to grow vegetables. This solution can partially address climatic problems and allows more intensive use of each square meter of cultivation area than conventional agriculture. However, operation and maintenance of a commercial greenhouse requires considerable knowledge, skill and labor. These factors are required, for example, to decide which plants should be transferred from the germination area to the cultivation area and to effect such a transfer. In addition, real estate prices often dictate construction of greenhouses at a great distance from population centers. As a result, considerations of stability during transit and shelf life have led to development of greenhouse strains of vegetables with the same undesirable flavor and texture characteristics seen in their counterparts cultivated outdoors.
By using modern imaging technology as part of an integrated system, much of the knowledge, skill, and labor of the agricultural producer can be replaced. This option allows automation and installation of automated farms under the supervision of unskilled personnel, with only periodic visits by skilled personnel. Such an imaging system could be, for example, an ultrasonic system (as disclosed in, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,228,636), a video imaging system capable of measuring plant area and volume (as disclosed in, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,130,545), a non contacting optical imaging system (as disclosed in, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,150,175) which could detect and count leaf veins, an acoustic and video imaging system for quality determination of agricultural products (as disclosed in, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,309,374), or an imaging spectroradiometer (as disclosed in, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,424,543). U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,228,636; 5,130,545; 5,150,175; 5,309,374; 5,424,543 are all fully incorporated herein by reference including all references contained therein. Problems of soil quality can be overcome to a large extent by use of hydroponic or aeroponic technology. This solution offers even greater yield per unit of production area than a greenhouse, and is sometimes combined with greenhouse technology for that reason. Like the greenhouse though, a conventional hydroponic or aeroponic farm requires considerable knowledge, skill and labor although some steps of the hydroponic or aeroponic production cycles have been automated to a certain extent.
Prior art hydroponic or aeroponic greenhouses generally rely on daylight to provide an energy source for photosynthesis. For this reason, crops are produced only on an area less than or equal to the area of the greenhouse. This leaves a great percentage of the greenhouse volume unutilized. And limits total crop yield.
There is thus a great demand for, and it would be highly advantageous to have, a self contained automated farm for production of high quality vegetables in close proximity to urban centers. By offering high yield per unit area, and reduced labor and shipping costs, the present invention can meet that demand.